Review:
While you could hardly say it was a hyped release, Blond:Ish's 2015 debut album, Welcome To The Present, picked up plenty of plaudits for its' alluring mix of tech-house tropes, Balearic intent and downtempo grooves. Six months after it hit stores, Kompakt has put together this dancefloor-leaning remix package. There's much to admire, from the tech-house-goes-to-Africa shuffle of Damien K's rework of "Jupiter & Jaguar", to the humid, ethnic stroll of San Proper's typically eccentric version of "Lucyas Affair". Best of all, though, is the previously unheard "Laberinto", a near 12-minute collaboration with Bahramji that effortlessly joins the dots between tactile tech-house, new wave, and the intoxicating aroma of the Middle East.

Review:
"Joker" was undeniably one of the strongest cuts from Gui Boratto's recent Abaporu full length, his fourth for long serving Cologne giants Kompakt. It's pleasing, then, to find it getting a deserved single release. The original - a breakdown-heavy chunk of progressive techno blessed with darting synthesizer arpeggios and tumbling pianos - is remixed by Dave DK and Michael Mayer. The former delivers a deeper, more atmospheric version, bristling with sinewy strings, woozy chords and sparse, bongo-laden percussion. It's Mayer's remix that hits home hardest, though. The Kompakt bossman reinvents the track as a chunky slab of wide-eyed rave revivalism, with Boratto's pianos and arpeggios riding a thrilling new bassline and cut-up electronics.

Review:
Kompakt are the unchallenged masters of sensual, atmospheric electronic dance music with a poppy twist and new signing Elijah Simmons was clearly destined for this label. Apparently someone with something for star signs, "Pisces" is a sublime seven-minute trip featuring a cool, rolling beat with suspended washes of synth pads and flickering effects that drift in and out with hypnotic beauty. If you're still conscious after that, then "Scorpi" is the sting in the tail that'll wake you up; a slow builder that evolves from trance to snarl over the course of eight minutes.

Review:
In many ways, "Airwaves" is typical of GusGus's recent releases. Like the rest of the album from which it's taken, Mexico, "Airwaves" sees the Icelandic band offering a smooth, atmospheric and slightly melancholic fusion of yearning, deep synth-pop and glacial tech-house. It's deliciously tactile - like much of their catalogue - with Daniel Agust's vocals sounding particularly emotive. The real highlight of this EP, though, is the T World Dub Mix - a nine-minute foray into deep, dubby and immersive tech-house that makes the most of the original's woozy keyboards and enveloping pads. It's tough enough for afterparty plays, but light and dreamy enough for home listening, too.

Review:
One of the tracks on the Icelandic act's latest album, Mexico, "Obnoxiously Sexual" gets twisted and turned into a variety of shapes on this remix release. At the epic end of the scale is Patrice Baumel's rework, with epic chords and wailing vocals transforming the original into a dramatic, tranced out affair. J Phlip's take is rooted in a different aesthetic with glitchy, fractured rhythms and dubby beats prevailing, while T-World's take sits somewhere in the middle of these sounds, its chiming hooks fused with clanking drums and stepping rhythms. However, the most impressive results come from Gluteus Maximus and ILO, whose versions feature punchy rhythms underpinning seductive woodwind, orchestral flourishes and dramatic brassy stabs.

Review:
Tech house titan Maceo Plex makes the move to Kompakt once again after storming the German institution with the Conjure Superstar release last year. This time around he has some assistance in the shape of Car, and between them they shape out the seductive, moody tones of "Mirror Me". The track comes in two forms, with Car dropping some unsettling robotic vocal turns on the "Extended Original" version in a perfect channeling of electro clash posturing, while Maceo's own "Dark Dub" strips back the bulbous melodics and pushes the techno intensity up. Whichever mix tickles your fancy more, there's no doubt the Plex machine has once again delivered the goods for the big room experience.

Review:
Given the immensely melodic nature of Taragana Pyjarama's self titled debut EP, released last year on the French label Fool House, it makes for little surprise that the Danish producer has been snapped up for a full album by Kompakt. Ahead of the release of Tipped Bowls, the iconic Cologne label offer a taste of what to expect in the shape of "Lo Ng" a shuffling, bleep infused track whose bassline reveals its ominous nature with something approaching zealous stealth. The percussion has more than a hint of latter-day Four Tet about it too. Complementing the album version are an Original Helter which strips back the groove to let Eriksen's melodic cravings shine and a live version that demonstrates how expansive the Taragana Pyjarama sound is when heard in a club.

Review:
Legends of German electronica Terranova are back and showcasing their ever evolving style again for Kompakt. Munich Machine himself DJ Hell lends a remix to "Kepler 186F" which is a dark melodic journey track that will no doubt fit in with the current status quo of popular dance music with its humming bassline, pulsating 'whoops' and sharp synth leads. The Kepler remix of "Uchu No Inu" sounds like a dark version of Miami legends Murk or Funky Green Dogs: an anthem for the black beach perhaps? There's an acappella of it too which despite what it may seem, focuses on the sinister sound design of the track and will make an experimental DJ tool or one hell of a creepy intro track!